A Whole New World
by maaike-fluffy
Summary: Lois doesn't like being away from Metropolis, and this particular vacation is threatning to become the worst ever. Untill Superman shows her that being away from safety isn't nessecarily a bad thing.Clois, written for 12daysofclois. COMPLETE
1. PART I

_A/N: People, this is my latest creation. Written for the 'Around the world' challenge on 12daysofclois. This will be a three part... chapters two and three will be up tomorrow and the day after. This little project took up most of my writing time lately, hence the temporary pause on Supermen. People waiting for an update of _that_ story... only a little longer. Thanks to Abby (better known as seanmontgomery) for the beta._

_So.. what are you waiting for? Go read! And let me know what you think._

**A Whole New World - Part I**

"There you go, miss."

A young teenage girl with a nice tanned skin and long jet black hair smiled at Lois as she put down the luggage and unlocked the door to room 104.

The hotel room was light, spacey and, apart from a few odd paintings, stylishly decorated. Had the circumstances been different, Lois would have appreciated the room, but now she wanted nothing more than to hop on the first flight back to Metropolis. _Or_, Lois thought as she entered the room and noticed the comfortable-looking bed in the next room_, crash in a bed and sleep for days_. She put down little Jason, who had been clinging to her neck, to accept the card the chambermaid had used to open the door.

"Breakfast starts at eight o'clock tomorrow morning." The black haired girl said with a rather heavy accent. "In the room to the right of the entrance hall."

"Right. Thank you." Lois grabbed her purse to tip the girl a few dollars—after all, she'd helped them get to their room, despite her rather fake smile—but only just in time realised she had to pay in euros here. Not really sure how much a euro was worth compared to a dollar, Lois searched for the largest coin and pressed it into the girl's waiting hand, hoping that it was about enough. "Thank you very much."

The girl casually slipped the coin in the pocket of her navy blue uniform and smiled politely. "I hope you enjoy your stay at Hera Hotel Athens, miss. Good night." The girl closed the door behind her and Lois turned to her little boy, who sat slumped in a recliner.

"Okay, Mister. Time for you to go to bed."

- - - - - -

Usually when Lois brought Jason to bed he would try to distract her with silly games to stay up longer, but today time he dutifully followed her to the bathroom, didn't fool around with his toothpaste for a change, and already slept before Lois could suggest a bedtime story. Looking down at her precious boy, she kissed his forehead and left the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Now that Jason was tucked in, Lois had a little more time to look around and notice how comfortable and nice the room was. It looked more like an apartment than anything else with it's separate rooms. Richard really had gone to great lengths to make them comfortable. Thinking of him made the clenching feeling in the pit of her stomach intensify. How long was it now that she hadn't seen him? Months… a _year_ almost. She wasn't looking forward to seeing him again tomorrow.

Lois sighed and opened the two large windows that offered a stunning view of the city The soft warm air of the summer evening caressed her face and Lois closed her eyes, grateful that the temperature had dropped somewhat. When she and Jason had arrived late that afternoon in Elefthérios Venizélos, a large airport that lay a good 35 kilometres southwest of their hotel, the heat had been smothering. Not that that was a surprise. Everyone knew that Greece was hot during the summer, especially a large city like Athens.

Opening her eyes again, Lois took in the panoramic view before her. The lights in the streets below ran all around the hotel, crossing each other at various points, rather like a large golden spider web. The characteristic white Greek houses climbed all the way up a hill opposite Lois's room. On the top stood a large temple, it's white illuminated stone contrasting sharply with the dark sky. It was a beautiful sight—the pamphlet Richard had sent them had described it as magical—but it couldn't fascinate Lois for very long. She sighed and focused on the street below instead. Somehow she felt more at ease with its hassle and noise. The activity took her mind off other things… like the reason _why_ she and Jason were in Athens.

It was a little short of a year ago that Lois and Richard had broken up. Lois had been the one to end their long standing engagement, insisting she wasn't ready to commit herself fully. At least, that's what they told others. But the real reason had been Superman… everybody knew it. Richard knew it. And it had been the reason why he asked for a transfer to continue his work as an assistant editor abroad. He had moved to Greece, and Lois had only seen him once since.

Jason had blamed Richard for leaving at first, not being able to understand the complex situation. Lois glanced in the direction of her son, who was sleeping soundly. Jason was no longer angry, merely sad. He missed his father badly, Lois knew. Despite all the time he spent with Superman, Perry and Clark, he just wanted to see Richard again. Lois couldn't deny her son that, even if it meant a very painful confrontation for her.

The sudden loneliness hit hard and Lois abruptly moved away from window. She looked around the room for something to occupy herself with. She hated being in Athens right now. She wanted to be in Metropolis… close to Clark. Her eye fell on the luggage still standing by the door and decided to unpack.

_Clark's been the one to drag us through the hard times this past year_. Lois mused as she unzipped the front of Jason's suitcase. Every time she missed Richard, Clark would be there to distract her and somehow make her laugh again. Lois grabbed a pair of Jason's jeans and tucked them away neatly in the wardrobe. She paused for a moment and realised she had never called for Clark. He had always dropped by at exactly the right moment. Was it coincidence?

_I wish he was here now_. Lois made her way back to the suitcase to fetch a few T-shirts. _But there's no way he'll _coincidentally_ pop up in Athens. Only Superman might…_ Lois paused in her tracks. "Superman…" she whispered._ Superman_ would know when to drop by. Didn't he say he was always around? Lois frowned as she folded the tee shirts. So, did that mean Superman and Clark were working together? Did that mean Superman would tell Clark when to drop by? Lois shook her head. She had written one story about conspiracies too many. It made no sense… Superman could have dropped by himself.

A sudden rush of wind caused the curtains to billow and Lois looked up. _Speak of the devil._ Superman hovered just a few inches from her window, arms folded over his chest so that only the top of the mighty 'S' was visible.

"You called?" He asked in his deep baritone voice.

"Actually, no." Lois looked at him confused. "I didn't. I was thinking of you, yes, but I didn't…" Lois fell silent as she thought back and remembered. "I might have muttered your name to myself." She admitted sheepishly and she felt her cheeks grow hot. _Shit! What if he was busy saving people?_

The curious look on Superman's handsome face made way for a small smile. "I see. Well, if you don't need me then maybe I should leave." He moved his right arm up, ready to fly away, but Lois hurried to the window.

"No, wait!" She leaned through the window to look at him properly. "I could use somebody to talk to." In an attempt to sound a little less selfish, she added; "Unless you're busy…"

"I wasn't, actually." Superman drifted a little lower.

"No one requires saving?" Lois asked, taking as step back and opening the window a little wider so that Superman could float through easily.

"Quite a disaster-less night." Superman replied and his boots soundlessly made contact with the shining teak floor of the hotel room. "I could use some company myself."

Lois looked at the Man of Steel standing in her hotel room. She had never realised he might feel lonely at some point too. She was shaken out of her thoughts when Superman cleared his throat and shot a meaningful glance in the direction of Jason. "So, how is he?"

"Jason is doing great." Lois followed his gaze. "He is all excited to see Richard again tomorrow."

"And you?" Superman asked keenly, his blue eyes suddenly boring into hers.

_He knows._ Lois thought. _See? He _knows_ when I'm feeling down._ "I'm not exactly looking forward to it. It's going to be painful and awkward, I don't doubt." She looked away and her eye fell on the temple on top of the hill in the distance.

"For what it's worth, Lois, I think it's great that you went for Jason's sake."

Superman's compliment fell on deaf ears. _Yes, well. At this moment, coming here seems to be the biggest mistake I ever made._ It took a few seconds for Lois to realise she had been thinking out loud. It was quiet for a few seconds, until;

"Lois, will you come with me?" Lois looked up to see that Superman was staring at the same temple she had been looking at. With a quick glance at her, he hovered a little into the air and stepped onto the windowsill. There he turned around and extended his hand.

"Why? Where?" Lois asked puzzled.

"I want to show you something."

Lois frowned and quickly looked at the closed bedroom door behind which Jason was slumbering peacefully. "But – "

"I'll keep an eye on him. _Both _of them." Superman added, tapping his temple with his index. "I can be there in less than a second if we have to."

Lois nodded and took the hand Superman extended. He pulled her up and put his arm around her waist, pressing her close to him. A tingle ran down her spine as she looked downwards and saw the buildings disappear under her feet. "Where are we going?"

Superman didn't reply her question. "What other countries have you been to?" he asked instead.

Lois blinked a few times before she answered. "Paris, Bermuda… and the General, my father, often took my sister and me to military bases."

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

Lois raised an eyebrow. What was he on about? She looked up to see his face, but the usual kind smile told her nothing. "I seem to remember you plummeting to the ground in Paris, getting kidnapped in Bermuda, and I can't imagine a military base makes for a fun playground."

"What's your point?" Lois asked, now very curious were all this was going.

"I want to show you that being away from home isn't necessarily a bad thing." He nodded at something in from of them. "Look."

Lois turned her head and was greeted with the impressive sight of the temple she'd seen from her window. She hadn't even noticed where they had been going. She cast one last look over her shoulder at the hotel, now a tiny dot of light in the distance.

"Don't worry. He's still sleeping."

The sudden feel of solid ground under her feet startled Lois, and Superman let go of her waist. She was standing right in front of the stone temple. It looked gigantic from up close. Many lights illuminated the pillars and gave the temple an almost mystical appearance. Next to her, Superman began to talk.

"This is the Acropolis hill were standing on, also called 'The Sacred Rock', one of the most popular and famous sights of Athens. It holds a good many interesting monuments." Superman walked towards the temple and beckoned Lois to follow him. "_This_ temple is the most famous of all; called the 'Parthenon'. It was built for Athena Parthenos, the patron Goddess of Athens." Superman's low voice echoed against the stone as he spoke and Lois eyes explored the large pillars and the many carvings and decorations. "It's is only a fraction of what used to stand here. A bomb exploded," Superman pointed out, "_there_, when the Venetians tried to defeat the Turks and it has been plundered several times."

Lois smiled as she took the large stone steps and walked past Superman to touch one of the front pillars. It was funny how this ancient stone building in Greece could make her feel small where the tallest skyscraper in Metropolis could not.

"I'd take you inside, but there isn't much to see anymore. Most sculptures were either destroyed in the explosion, or shipped off to a museum in Britain."

Lois turned around to face him, her back pressed against the cold stone of the pillar. His face was serious and Lois had to fight back her laughter. Apparently she wasn't entirely successfully because Superman frowned and asked; "What's so funny?"

"You are." Lois grinned "In tour guide-mode."

Superman grinned. "You haven't seen anything just yet. Come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. Caught off her guard, Lois was so startled by their sudden close proximity she didn't realise what he was doing until she faced a new scenery... a good 500 metres away from the Parthenon.

"_This_ is the Erechtheum," Superman let her go and immediately started talking. Lois needed a moment to clear her mind. "A_nother_ well-known and important temple. At some point even more important then the Parthenon. It was dedicated to the famous Greek hero Erichthonius." The large stone building that was much more intact than the previous one had been. "Compared to other temples, the Erechtheum's build is unusual. Partly because of the ground. He walked a few metres and Lois followed, bemused. "You see? The ground there is almost three metres lower."

"How do you know all this?" Lois asked.

"Well, I travel around the world on a daily basis. Lot's of opportunities for me to do a little sightseeing."

"You're not telling me you walk among the crowd like _that_." Lois amused herself for a moment with mental images of Superman with a map, camera and rucksack, playing tourist with a group of jabbering Japanese people.

Superman grinned. "I have my ways." He walked further, his cape billowing behind him, and Lois looked at him for a while. Superman seemed different. Carefree. Some might even call it 'out of character', but Lois had a sneaking suspicion he wasn't out of character at all. Maybe she was seeing him in character for the first time.

"The Erechtheum roughly exists of three parts." Superman walked further. "The main area is behind this large wall." He patted the stone. "It held the statues of Polias, Erechtheus and Poseidon."

"Held?" Lois asked.

"The Acropolis was plundered many times. Many of the old treasures are now lost." Superman walked back to the front of the building. "_There_ was the Northern cella. It gave access to the _Pandroseion_; A secluded area that holds Zeus' altar, the grave of king Cecrops and the sacred Olive tree, given by Athena herself."

"I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I will have forgotten all of those names tomorrow morning." Lois grinned. "Pandroseion and Cecrops... Why can't they all be called Harry?"

Superman's eyes twinkled. "You'd better get used to the names. I've got many, _many_ more for you." He took her hand and pulled her to the other side of the temple. "You see this expansion further on?" He positioned her in front of him and pointed over her shoulder. Lois' skin heated up where he pressed against her back despite the small layer of fabric that separated them. "That's the Southern cella, known as the 'Porch of the Maidens'. If you look well you can see that the _pillars_," He moved his hand a little lower, "which were used to support the roof, are replaced by six statues of robed women, known as 'Caryatids'. _There_ is another name for you." Lois could hear he was smiling as he said the last line.

Squinting, Lois peered at the statues. "I only see five."

Superman moved from behind her—Lois' back suddenly cooled down fast—and beamed. "Very good. One of them was removed by the same British man who took the statues from the Parthenon to decorate his mansion. According to Athenian legends, the five remaining Caryatids can be heard wailing for their lost sister at night."

Lois laughed. "I don't hear a thing."

"Well, these are exact replica's of the statues. The _real _Caryatids are displayed in the Acropolis Museum, well preserved. We could go and-" Superman suddenly stopped talking in mid-sentence and his head snapped up.

"What?" Lois asked, her smile slowly fading.

"Jason is waking up." Superman said simply. "He isn't awake yet, but I can hear his heartbeat quicken, he'll wake soon and find you're not there."

"Oh," was all Lois said. "Right." She knew very well that this was the moment to return, but she didn't want to leave; not now she was finally starting to like the city. Reluctantly she took Superman's hand and looked over her shoulder, saying a silent goodbye to the Acropolis hill. Superman's warm arm circled around her waist and she watched the Erechtheum shrink and disappear behind the majestic shape of the Parthenon-temple.

All too soon she found herself standing on the shining teak floor of her hotel room. It looked oddly surreal after all the stone ruins that had surrounded her only seconds before. Lois lifted her head to look at Superman and opened her mouth to thank him for a great evening when a small moan sounded from the bedroom, followed by a groggy "Mommy?"

Lois shot an apologetic look at Superman before opening the door slightly and poking her head through. The small ray of light that came from the door was the only light in the otherwise pitch-dark room, and it only just illuminated the shape of a drowsy boy with tousled hair. "I'm right here, Munchkin. Go back to sleep."

As Jason let his head sink back onto his pillow, Lois pulled her head back and closed the door quietly. She turned to find that Superman was still standing in the exact same spot near the window.

"Thank you," Lois said sincerely "for this great evening. I wish we could have had more time to see Athens."

"Well…" Lois noticed an unfamiliar sparkle in Superman's eyes that she immediately decided she liked. "You're here for the week, right?"

"Well, yes…" Lois said confused. She wanted to add "How do you know?", but thought better of it once she remembered exactly who she was talking to.

"In that case I'll see you tomorrow. Good night Lois."

And with that he was gone. Lois hurried to the window and looked up to find that the Greek summer sky was clear and completely void of Kryptonians. Her eye fell on Acropolis hill. Lois looked at the illuminated stone and smiled broadly. "Goodnight Superman."


	2. PART II

_A/N: Here is part two. Enjoy!_

PART 2

It seemed like ages until Jason finally fell asleep the next day. He wasn't nearly as tired as he had been the day before, the jet lag almost completely worn off, and he couldn't stop talking about all the things he had seen and done with Richard. Lois had decided to spend most of the day around her hotel room, catching up on some work from the Daily Planet and exploring the vicinity. Richard had respected her decision not to come, he understood why. Lois was happy that the man she had loved for years hadn't changed.

But now her six year old boy was finally off in dreamland. Lois planted a kiss on his hair before slipping out of the room and closing the door behind her quietly. Resting her back against the door, Lois whispered "Superman,", and stared at the window intently.

Nothing. Lois waited a few minutes before whispering "Superman," again, but no red-caped man appeared. Lois walked to the window and opened it further to lean out. There was no sign of the Man of Steel, but the Acropolis winked at her from the distance. "Superman!" she said a little louder.

Sighing, Lois crashed down in a recliner, disappointed. Somehow she had expected him to show up the second she had uttered his name. _He could have been here by now. Easily._

She pulled a book towards her and made an attempt to read but she didn't get far. Her eye kept getting drawn to the open window. He _had_ said he'd come by today. Lois shifted in her seat and pushed her reading glasses up to focus on the book again.

- - - - - -

"Lois?"

Lois woke with a start. Her book had slipped from her grasp and had fallen on the floor. Her glasses had slipped to the tip of her nose. Lois pushed them up and turned in her seat to look at the source of the unexpected sound. "About time!"

Superman smiled apologetically. "I heard you, but I couldn't come over. I had to get some kids out of an elementary school on fire in New Zealand."

"At this hour?" Lois asked with a raised eyebrow and a glance on her watch. She knew it wasn't entirely fair to question him, but she was annoyed he had stood her up for three hours.

"It's broad daylight there right now." Superman walked further into the hotel room and Lois wanted to smack herself.

_Of course it is, idiot! It's pretty selfish of you to expect he'll just come flying over whenever it suits you._ She kicked herself mentally, but all she said was "Oh."

"Look Lois, I know I'm late. I could tell you were already sleeping, but I was hoping you might still want to go. But if you think it too late then may-"

Lois, who could see her night out slipping away, jumped up. "I do want to go!" She pulled the glasses off her face and threw them on the chair she had been sitting on. "I do, sorry I'm acting cranky. I'm a little drowsy."

Superman smiled, visibly relieved. "All right then. Where do you want to go tonight? Any preferences?"

"The Dionysus" Lois said promptly. Superman stared at her and she grinned. "I might have skimmed through a tourist guide."

Superman laughed and extended his hand, which Lois grabbed without hesitation. "Let's go then."

Lois clung to Superman as he flew them over the large city of Athens. Not towards the top of Acropolis, but to a ruin at the bottom of the hill. Lois' flimsy summer dress rippled in the wind and she shivered involuntarily. It was a little cooler than the previous night, and though she would be fine once they arrived, the wind caused by their fast travel cooled her down faster than was comfortable. Lois rested her cheek against Superman's shoulder, soaking up his body heat.

"There we are… the Dionysus theatre; the oldest theatre of Europe and home of the traditional Greek tragedy. It was named after the Dionysus, the Greek god of fertility and wine."

"Nice god." Lois interrupted with a smile, as Superman slowly descended to the ground. They were standing on the white stone of the stage, which looked blue in the night. White stone seats imbedded in the sloping hill climbed up before them.

"The place traditionally was built for sacrificing goats to Dionysus. The theatre, which it is famous for now, didn't come until later." Lois looked around her intently, as Superman continued his explanation. "Once the theatre had gotten popular, they had to expand the place. The original wooden seats were replaced by the rows of white stone seats you see now. There is room for almost 17 thousand people."

Lois looked around and noticed the look on Superman's face. Again she marvelled how different he seemed. He seemed to genuinely enjoying himself, without pretences. Just like the day before, Lois wondered if she was looking at the real man behind Superman.

"What is it?" Superman had noticed her staring at him, and had turned towards her.

"You're different." Lois answered simply.

"I am?" Superman's smile fell, as Lois took a step closer.

"Yes, you are." She smiled "You look a little more-" she paused for a moment before plunging on recklessly. "-_human_." Superman's eyes widened and Lois smiled again to reassure him. "I like it."

"Oh, OK." Superman sounded casual, but Lois could see a hint of worry in his face.

"Usually you seem a little distant, but today you're so much more-" Lois made another attempt to put him at ease but stopped when she saw her words didn't have the effect she'd hoped. Superman didn't meet her eyes anymore and the twinkle in his eye was gone. "What… did I say something wrong?"

"No. No, you didn't." Superman looked up and smiled at her. It was a smile Lois knew very well. It was a smile that was empty and impersonal, lacking everything she had seen the past two days. Her heart sank as Superman continued his talk about the Dionysus. "Well… even though this theatre is most famous because of the traditional plays," he said, clearing his throat, "people also came here to watch gladiator fights." He moved behind her and pointed over her shoulder. "The railing you see _there_ was designed to protect the-" he stopped talking when Lois turned around and put a finger to his lips. She was no longer interested in tales about old theatres or bullfights.

"Don't do this, Superman." She said quietly.

"Do what?" Superman stepped back nervously. It slightly bothered Lois to see Superman like this. She wasn't used to see the pillar of strength so obviously affected by something. Yet, at the same time, it also felt strangely familiar. It triggered something Lois couldn't quite identify.

"This. You're acting distant again."

"Lois-" Superman said uncomfortably, but Lois wouldn't let him finish.

"Why are you shutting me out?" Lois stared at the man before her, now determined to get an answer.

"Maybe we should call it a night. It's very late." Superman turned around and walked to the middle of the stage.

"Is Jason waking up?" Lois asked, looking at his back. "Somebody asking for help?" She could see he would have said 'yes' if he hadn't promised to never lie.

"No."

"And I'm not tired. It's early in the evening in Metropolis." Lois sat down on one of the stone seats and crossed her arms. "We've got some time to talk."

Superman didn't speak and an uncomfortable silence fell in which Lois wondered how their careless conversation had changed so dramatically. She asked herself if it was wise to press him for answers like this. She knew all too well that too much pressure on a person could have the opposite affect. How many times had she seen it in interviews? She came to the conclusion that she just _needed to know_. Not just because she was a curious person, but because she felt she had the right. Despite everything, she considered herself to be a close friend.

"There is more to you, isn't there?" She asked. Superman's silence said more then a 'yes' could ever have done. "We've got a history that goes back _years_--we've got a _son_ together--and I don't even know your real name. This person I've seen the past two days is so different from the person the world knows as Superman. Why can't you let me in?" Lois realised she was almost pleading with him and quickly stopped talking. Her words seemed to have achieved something though, as he finally looked at her again.

"Kal-El" He said sincerely.

Lois' brows knitted together in confusion. _Kal-El?_ "What is that, Greek?"

Superman smiled faintly. "No. That's my real name."

Lois clapped a hand to her mouth in shock. "Oh! Shit, I'm sorry." _Way to go, Lane. Ridicule his name._

"And it's Kryptonian, not Greek." Superman smiled faintly again and Lois could feel the blood rushing to her face.

"Kal-El… Kal-_El_" Lois tested the sound of the name as Superman sat down next to her.

"Lois. I can't tell you what you want to hear. Not because I don't want to, but because some things about me have to remain a secret." The look on his face was open and honest. "Can you accept that?"

"Yes, I can." Lois put her hand in his and made an attempt to squeeze it. No matter how badly she wanted to know the man sitting next to her, she had always known that things would be more complicated with Superman. "I understand."

Superman smiled. Not a fake smile, but a genuine one. "Thank you." He said, standing up.

"Su… Kal-El? You know you can trust me, don't you?"

Superman extended his hand, and Lois took it. "I know I can, Lois." He put his other hand in the small of her back and pressed her against him gently as they rose up into the air together. "I know." The Parthenon temple came into view as they rose to the top of the Acropolis and then headed towards the window.

For the first time Lois didn't look at the stunning city view but observed the gentle features of Superman's face--from the rich mop of hair that gently swayed in the wind, to his blue eyes that spoke volumes and his strong jaw line with a faint hint of stubble He landed on the windowsill with practised ease and lowered her to the ground gently, his hands releasing their grip on her once her feet touched the floor.

"Good night, Lois."

"Good night. Kal-El?" she said softly.

"Hmm?"

"Will you be you, the next time we meet?"

Superman smiled kindly in a way that was very familiar. "Yes, I will." But Lois didn't hear his answer anymore. She stared at his face and something in her brain clicked. His hair, his eyes, his jaw, his _smile_.

"Lois?" Superman's smile fell a little when Lois' mouth dropped open. "Something wrong?"

"C-Clark?" Lois' befuddled mind could just register his look of confusion merge into shock before he flew away.


	3. PART III

_A/N: And here is the last part. I hope you all like it. I realise the ffdotrnet alerts are down again, so I hope you people are getting this. Ah, well... Thanks Abby, for the last-minute beta!_

PART I I I

The rest of the week passed in a blur of emotions. Lois did not call for Superman the next evenings, and he didn't look for contact either. Lois spent her days taking Jason to several sights in the city, though she refused to take him anywhere near Acropolis.

The shock she had felt at first had worn off a little, and had made place for anger, betrayal, and mostly, hurt. She felt hurt because he hadn't confided in her. She felt hurt because they had been working side by side for years and he had never said a word. But most of all she felt hurt because the only two people she had felt she could really trust had been feeding her lies for years on end. It was a good thing Superman hadn't come over because Lois felt she might have ripped him to shreds.

Lois walked back and forth between the wardrobe and Jason's suitcase furiously, packing their belongings so they could leave early the next morning. There was no need for her to _throw_ Jason's clothes around, but she simply needed an outlet to vent her frustrations.

Angry though she was at him, a part of her regretted that he hadn't come over the next day. Now that she had reached the end of her vacation she felt no desire to leave, despite the fact that this was possibly the worst vacation she'd ever had. Because leaving meant she had to go to work again. And working meant facing Clark... or Superman... or Kal-El… or whatever she was supposed to call him.

A rap on the door shook her out of her thoughts. Irritated, Lois dropped the heap of clothes she had been holding onto the bed. Planning on giving Mr next-door an earful if he was going to complain about the hot water _again_, Lois took several long strides to the door and wrenched it open.

The now familiar hallway was deserted. Lois took a moment to look around before she shrugged and closed the door again. _Odd_. She could have sworn she'd heard a…

_Tap! Tap! _Lois spun around. The taps, louder this time, came from the direction of the window, not the door. Lois froze for a second. A tap on the window left no doubt who the visitor was. Should she let him in? The angry and hurt side of her wanted to keep the window closed. Pretend she wasn't at home. But she needed more than a simple curtain to fool this guy. He was probably looking at her right now.

Her anger suddenly flared up a little again, and Lois straightened her back. _He's got some nerve to come back now and not even give me the chance to avoid him._ She stalked to the window and ripped the curtains open. She fully expected the man behind the window and threw him a look she knew could make most people crumble. "What are you doing here, _Clark_?" Lois asked coldly, putting a lot of emphasis on his name.

"Can I come in?" Clark looked like… Clark, yet wearing Superman's suit. He looked anxious and nervous as always, but Lois knew that this time he wasn't acting.

"Why?" She crossed her arms. "Give me one good reason to allow you in."

"I want to talk to you." Clark shot her a big-eyed pleading look that would have melted her if her resolve to make him squirm hadn't been so strong. "I need to ex-"

"Maybe _I_ have no desire whatsoever to talk to _you_." Lois said stubbornly. It wasn't entirely true. She had a million questions she wanted an answer about _right now_, but she didn't exactly feel like facing him.

"Lois, _please._" Clark pleaded with her. "I -… It was stupid of me to leave when you found out. I should have stayed … to explain."

"But you didn't. You fled the scene." Lois snapped, and Clark nodded, somewhat embarrassed. "Why?" Clark looked around him rather restless. Lois knew he was probably worrying about the attention he was getting, hovering in front of a hotel room for an extended period of time. Lois couldn't bring herself to care. "Why?" She repeated.

It took a while before Clark answered. "I was scared. I didn't know what to do, and-" Apparently embarrassed, it seemed to be the genuine truth, but Lois laughed it away sarcastically.

"You were scared? You, of all people, were _scared_? The man who saves the world three times during his lunch break, didn't know what to do? The man who does-"

Lois missed the flicker of annoyance of his face, and therefore not realised she had truck a nerve when Clark cut her off. "Yes, I was. And you know why? Because this is a problem my super strength can't solve. Because," he took a deep breath, "I have no experience with this."

Lois shot him a sceptic look. "So at the first sight of trouble you ran away?"

"No, Lois, I-" Clark started to object, but Lois didn't let him finish.

"No, of course you didn't. How could I have been so stupid?" She turned around and walked away from the window, done with the conversation. "You _flew_." Her back turned towards him, Lois waited for they '_whoosh_' that would tell her he'd taken off, but it didn't came. A peek from the corner of her eye, when she turned her head a little to the right, told her he was still hovering by the window.

"I flew away Lois, yes. But this time I'm staying." He stepped onto the window sill and from there to the shining floor to prove his point. "I'm not flying anywhere this time." His voice sounded determined and Lois turned her head away again, not knowing what to say. A part of her liked it that he was trying to make amends, another part of her wanted him to leave. She felt like she might break if he didn't. And Lois didn't want to break. "I don't have anything to say to you."

"That's OK. I'll do the talking." Lois could her a soft squeak and knew he had sat down in the big red chair next to the window. It took a while before he actually started to speak. "I know you're probably angry at me for hiding the fact that Clark is actually me. And I don't blame you. But I'm not apologising either." Lois lifted an eyebrow Clark couldn't see. "It was necessary Lois. I'm sure you realise a man like me can't do what he does and lead a normal life at the same time. It wasn't always easy, but it was necessary."

"You came all the way here just to tell me you didn't do anything wrong?" Lois was relieved to find that her voice sounded stronger than she felt. A little harsh maybe, but at least it didn't crack.

"No, I… No." A deep sigh was followed by a few long seconds of silence. "I'm not perfect Lois. People like to think I am.. but I'm not."

Lois crossed her arms, her back still turned to him. "Maybe that's because you pretend to be." She retorted. He didn't reply. Turning around she saw that Clark was holding his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. He looked so hopeless, Lois felt the sight tugging on her heartstrings.

"I flew away because I was scared. Because I didn't know what was going to happen. Because you … you suddenly saw a lot more of me than I was prepared to show you." Clark looked up unexpectedly, and for a moment their eyes met. Instantly Lois recognised the man she had seen earlier that week.The man behind the Man of Steel. Lois looked away, but not before she realised that this time he was showing his real self to her willingly. It was because of this realisation that Lois found herself believing everything he said.

"But now it's different. I left because I was scared, and that was wrong of me. But I've come back to show you that, even though it still scares me, I'm willing to allow you in. And that I won't fly off again."

Lois' mind raced as she kept her eyes fixated on the floor. Clark's words didn't take away the anger, pain an frustration, she still felt them, but his words had added something new. Love and hope. Realising Clark was probably waiting for her reaction Lois took a breath and looked up to meet his piercing blue eyes. "So I'm scary?"

Clark closed his eyes temporarily, obviously relieved, before opening them again. "Positively terrifying."

Lois snorted despite herself. "Good," noticing the twinkle in his eye had returned, Lois added "don't you forget that when we're back in the bullpenn."

Clark looked surprised at that: "Wait. You mean you don't mind having to work next to me at the Planet?"

"Now why would I mind that. I can do some much more sneaking when you're around. Think of the possibilities!"

Clark laughed. Not the nervous chuckle like Clark used to do, but a real, genuine laugh. Lois stared at him for a while, but his mirth was infective and soon Lois found herself starting to laugh too. Her words hadn't been particularly funny, but stopping seemed impossible. All the stress, frustration and anger she had cropped up during the week seemed to vanish as she laughed it all away with Clark, ignoring the tears on her cheeks and the stitch in her side. It took several minutes for their laughter to reduce to an occasional chuckle.

"So, where do we go from here?" Lois said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. It was a very sobering question, and Clark looked serious when he answered; "I don't know." He reached out to take Lois' hand, and Lois squeezed it slightly. "I don't know here this is headed. And I don't care. As long as I'm with you." He gave her a small smile, and Lois returned it.

"Well, I don't know where we're going. But I do know where to start." She got up and extended her hand. Clark raised an eyebrow as he took it. "And where is that?"

"A certain _super_ man promised me to show me around Athens." Lois said as a small grin broke out as she walked past Clark, heading towards the window. "I think I'm quite ready for another temple."

"Well, I am sorry Miss Lane, no more temples for you." Lois turned around in surprise to find out that Clark was no longer dressed in red and blue—like he had been a second before—but in a brown suit and thick horn-rimmed glasses. He walked towards her. "You're exploring the town with Clark Kent tonight."

A big grin crept on Lois' face as she tugged on his ugly tie. "And where is Clark Kent planning on taking me?" She whispered. Clark nodded out the window, at a small restaurant. Loud singing voices and the sound of shattering dinner-service drifted through the open window. Two old men sat on a bench outside, sipping from a small glass.

"You are going to learn the _Zembekiko_." He said simply.

"The _what_?" Lois walked after him as he made his way to the door. "What's that?" Clark turned around with a smirk. "It's a traditional Greek dance." He opened the door and stepped into the hallways. Lois halted in her tracks. "A dance? No, no… I don't dance."

Clark's eyes twinkled. "Oh, yes you will…"


End file.
